Normal for worms on SPS?

reeferdale · 02/14/2011, 12:44 PM

OK - I need to explain my situation. I have been keeping reefs successfully for 17 years - and this is the first time I have had to deal with parasites. Current tank is a 180g, new tank is 270g

I noticed my corals just not looking as good as they usually do. When the corals started looking different, I spent over a month looking at the tank with a magnifying glass – found red/black bugs, and thought this may have been the reason for the skeleton on the chalice – I dipped several pieces in Revive, Coral RX and Lugol’s over a period of time.

Then I noticed an edge of a chalice all of a sudden started showing skeleton – I put it under a microscope and I have some very very small brown/reddish worms (look like a tiny earth worm, not a typical blob type flat worm) on several different sps (chalices, acans, monti). I have been trying to find the right product dosage to safely kill these worms but honestly, it seems to take a full dose of coral RX or PraziPro to kill them. I did the first interceptor treatment for the bugs, and the worms made it through the first interceptor treatment.

I just picked up $500 worth of frags from a huge swap here in Michigan. They went straight into a QT tank I had setup cause I did not want to put them into my tank. So yesterday, I decided to check the QT tank – these corals have ever been in my main tank and no water/equipment from the QT either – Sure enough, I found black bugs (not such a big deal) and the small worms on a few pieces – these pieces were from different vendors.

So, with all this said – I am looking for any SPS keepers (I have not seen these worms on any acros) who have ever taken a look at their stuff under a microscope – maybe these worms are not actually as harmful as I think they are? I would still like to kill them – I just ordered some Levasole and I am going to experiment with it. I threw out about 9 nice size pieces of coral cause I did not want to take a chance, and I basically toasted them trying to kill the worms.

Now that the bugs are gone, I need to keep a watch for future damage they comes from the worms. If they are not a big deal then I can hold off on another tank treatment for them.

Any one have some input they could share?

rwsunrx · 04/04/2011, 05:32 PM

Did you ever identify these tiny red worms? I think I have the same thing in my relatively new tank. Can only see them with a 5X ~ 10X magnifying glass. No corals in my tank yet, just live rock and fish. But want to know if they are dangerous before adding corals.

GXPKY · 04/04/2011, 05:42 PM

There are some worm pests for acros, never had any experience with them, may wanna search around though, some burrow into the acros etc. Hopefully someone else can be of better help than myself.

LifeAquatic · 04/04/2011, 06:13 PM

Only bad worms I know that attack SPS are the Acro eating flatworm. Thankfully for you the description doesnt fit. Im not sure the worms you are seeing under the microscope are casuing your problems.

GXPKY · 04/04/2011, 06:14 PM

Found a bit of info on this page, scroll down and find the worm section.

http://www.chucksaddiction.com/coraldisease.html

reeferdale · 04/05/2011, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rwsunrx

Did you ever identify these tiny red worms? I think I have the same thing in my relatively new tank. Can only see them with a 5X ~ 10X magnifying glass. No corals in my tank yet, just live rock and fish. But want to know if they are dangerous before adding corals.

Can't say I ever identifed them - I did do a whole tanl provade (prohibit) treatment of my tank. The worms are gone finally. And now, 1+ months later, my corals have stopped dying adn are stable, showing signs of normal color and some have actually begun to gro out again. I have to maintain that these worms, among other parasites were the casue of my tanl crash.

I lost 40% of my corals by the time I got a hanlde on this. I also have been dipping my surviving corals and the frags I took. I used mainly revive/coral rx, but the last thing I dipped in was Bayer Advances insect killer from home depot! There are some threads about it if you search. It is $12 for a 40oz bottle and I have dipped in it 2x now with great results and NO problems to any corals.

PR_Reefers · 04/05/2011, 08:56 PM

is there any way your microscope can take pics... would like to see them...

i know it's a slim chance though..lol

PR_Reefers · 04/05/2011, 09:05 PM

is there any way your microscope can take pics... would like to see them...

i know it's a slim chance though..lol

gon08 · 04/06/2011, 05:44 AM

Do you have any pics of the damage they caused? Been having problems with large areas of tissue being eaten over night but there are no AEFW or eggs to be found. Been suspecting worms for some time now.

reeferdale · 04/07/2011, 12:59 PM

sorry, can't get pics - plus they are gone now.

If you have them, and you look under a scope, youwill see them. They are very lively and all I can say is they look like a tine earth work brownis/red color. Since these have been gone, I found some transparent worms crawling around on some corals also. I have been dipping them in an off the shelf insecticide called bayer advanced total insect killer. It has killed everything on the corals, pods, worms, bugs, and some stuff I don't even know what it is. Looks like some eggs came off as well. There are documents here or Michigan reefers about this product as well

Try to use a syringe to drop some coral rx on them to see if it kills them. They tend to just ball up and stop moving. Now, for an entire tank treatment, I used a product called prohibit (levamisole hydrochloride). I only did the dosage 2x. It is a pig and sheep lung dewormer. There are documents on this sitr regarding its use. Be careful doing this.

thats all I can relate to you. I know some people claim these do not casue any harm, but in my case I was in the middle of a total tank melt down and I was at a point where I had nothing to lose so I resorted to these extreme measures.

I did throw out some badly nifested corals rather than take a chance with them, but my corals are now stable and growing.

02/14/2011, 12:44 PM	#1
reeferdale Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Southeast Michigan Posts: 165	Normal for worms on SPS? OK - I need to explain my situation. I have been keeping reefs successfully for 17 years - and this is the first time I have had to deal with parasites. Current tank is a 180g, new tank is 270g I noticed my corals just not looking as good as they usually do. When the corals started looking different, I spent over a month looking at the tank with a magnifying glass – found red/black bugs, and thought this may have been the reason for the skeleton on the chalice – I dipped several pieces in Revive, Coral RX and Lugol’s over a period of time. Then I noticed an edge of a chalice all of a sudden started showing skeleton – I put it under a microscope and I have some very very small brown/reddish worms (look like a tiny earth worm, not a typical blob type flat worm) on several different sps (chalices, acans, monti). I have been trying to find the right product dosage to safely kill these worms but honestly, it seems to take a full dose of coral RX or PraziPro to kill them. I did the first interceptor treatment for the bugs, and the worms made it through the first interceptor treatment. I just picked up $500 worth of frags from a huge swap here in Michigan. They went straight into a QT tank I had setup cause I did not want to put them into my tank. So yesterday, I decided to check the QT tank – these corals have ever been in my main tank and no water/equipment from the QT either – Sure enough, I found black bugs (not such a big deal) and the small worms on a few pieces – these pieces were from different vendors. So, with all this said – I am looking for any SPS keepers (I have not seen these worms on any acros) who have ever taken a look at their stuff under a microscope – maybe these worms are not actually as harmful as I think they are? I would still like to kill them – I just ordered some Levasole and I am going to experiment with it. I threw out about 9 nice size pieces of coral cause I did not want to take a chance, and I basically toasted them trying to kill the worms. Now that the bugs are gone, I need to keep a watch for future damage they comes from the worms. If they are not a big deal then I can hold off on another tank treatment for them. Any one have some input they could share?

04/04/2011, 05:42 PM	#3
GXPKY Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Kentucky Posts: 235	There are some worm pests for acros, never had any experience with them, may wanna search around though, some burrow into the acros etc. Hopefully someone else can be of better help than myself. __________________ -Dennis Current Tank Info: 240 Gallon Mixed Reef, 8x2x2, 3x MP40w ES, ASM G6 Skimmer, 90 gallon sump, Bulk Reef Supply GFO/Carbon, 3x 250w MH, 4x 96w PC 460nm actinics.

04/04/2011, 06:14 PM	#5
GXPKY Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Kentucky Posts: 235	Found a bit of info on this page, scroll down and find the worm section. http://www.chucksaddiction.com/coraldisease.html __________________ -Dennis Current Tank Info: 240 Gallon Mixed Reef, 8x2x2, 3x MP40w ES, ASM G6 Skimmer, 90 gallon sump, Bulk Reef Supply GFO/Carbon, 3x 250w MH, 4x 96w PC 460nm actinics.

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04/04/2011, 05:32 PM	#2
rwsunrx Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 103	Did you ever identify these tiny red worms? I think I have the same thing in my relatively new tank. Can only see them with a 5X ~ 10X magnifying glass. No corals in my tank yet, just live rock and fish. But want to know if they are dangerous before adding corals.

04/04/2011, 06:13 PM	#4
LifeAquatic Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 922	Only bad worms I know that attack SPS are the Acro eating flatworm. Thankfully for you the description doesnt fit. Im not sure the worms you are seeing under the microscope are casuing your problems.

04/05/2011, 08:56 PM	#7
PR_Reefers Registered Member. Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 106	is there any way your microscope can take pics... would like to see them... i know it's a slim chance though..lol

04/05/2011, 09:05 PM	#8
PR_Reefers Registered Member. Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 106	is there any way your microscope can take pics... would like to see them... i know it's a slim chance though..lol

04/06/2011, 05:44 AM	#9
gon08 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Pembroke Pines, Fl Posts: 538	Do you have any pics of the damage they caused? Been having problems with large areas of tissue being eaten over night but there are no AEFW or eggs to be found. Been suspecting worms for some time now.

04/07/2011, 12:59 PM	#10
reeferdale Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Southeast Michigan Posts: 165	sorry, can't get pics - plus they are gone now. If you have them, and you look under a scope, youwill see them. They are very lively and all I can say is they look like a tine earth work brownis/red color. Since these have been gone, I found some transparent worms crawling around on some corals also. I have been dipping them in an off the shelf insecticide called bayer advanced total insect killer. It has killed everything on the corals, pods, worms, bugs, and some stuff I don't even know what it is. Looks like some eggs came off as well. There are documents here or Michigan reefers about this product as well Try to use a syringe to drop some coral rx on them to see if it kills them. They tend to just ball up and stop moving. Now, for an entire tank treatment, I used a product called prohibit (levamisole hydrochloride). I only did the dosage 2x. It is a pig and sheep lung dewormer. There are documents on this sitr regarding its use. Be careful doing this. thats all I can relate to you. I know some people claim these do not casue any harm, but in my case I was in the middle of a total tank melt down and I was at a point where I had nothing to lose so I resorted to these extreme measures. I did throw out some badly nifested corals rather than take a chance with them, but my corals are now stable and growing.